


A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

by The_Forgotten_Nobody



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Art, Fluff, M/M, Post S2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 21:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1956369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Forgotten_Nobody/pseuds/The_Forgotten_Nobody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of Kieren's favourite pastimes is drawing Simon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

**Author's Note:**

> I finished the second series of this today and I am in love. I never expected to like this show as much as I do and I adore the relationship between Kieren and Simon. I therefore had to write something about it.

Simon notices it while they're sitting in the lounge of Amy's, now his, bungalow. The TV is switched on, showing some awful soap opera, yet instead of watching it Kieren's head is bent down, golden hair covering his pale face and his hand is switching between making broad sweeping movements and short, sharp ones against a notebook. Every so often Kieren's eyes glance upwards to him and Simon realises that he must be what Kieren is drawing. 

"I hope you don't expect me to pose," he says and this jolts Kieren out of his drawing daze. He tears his gaze away from the paper and looks at Simon with a small smile. 

"No, you look good. I hope you don't mind?" He asks, gesturing to his picture. Simon shakes his head. 

"It's fine, as long as I get to see it after."

"Course." Kieren's then once again lost in his drawing and Simon turns his attention back to the TV. Every so often his focus switches to Kieren but in an attempt not to make himself harder to draw he tries to stay as still as possible. The programme eventually comes to an end and Kieren puts down his pencil.

"Finished?" Simon checks and Kieren gives a short, hesitant nod. It's clear he's nervous about showing Simon his work so Simon gives him what he hopes was a reassuring smile. 

"Here." Kieren passes him the notebook containing the picture and it takes a few moments for Simon to really process what he's looking at. 

It's not that he made Simon look human, he would be slightly offended if he had, but Kieren seemed to make his pale, dead eyes look alive and vibrant. His skin, which is sunken and sallow, is shaded expertly with the pencil. It doesn't exactly make him look like the living, but he also doesn't look dead, or even 'partially deceased'. He just looks different, a good different. Even the track marks that carry memories from a life-time ago are there, just not made obvious. What Simon is most surprised Kieren captured is the faint, content, real, smile that he very rarely expresses. It's a smile reserved for few, and even then not very often. Simon has never had someone draw his picture before and he knows that no one would be able to compare to the one held in his hands. To Simon, it is more than a picture. It represents the fact that Kieren accepts him for who he is, yet still manages to find some beauty in him. He knows that he's frequently said that they should accept who they are and feel no shame, but that doesn't mean he doesn't recognise the physical imperfections that came with rising from the grave. Kieren makes it look as if they don't even matter. 

"Do you like it?" Kieren's voice snaps him out of the trance-like state he's in. He looks at Kieren's face, expression tentative and anxious, and Simon can't help but think how lucky he is that he was given the chance to meet this man. He may not have been the First Risen but there is no one more important to him right then and there. 

"You, Kieren Walker," Simon mutters leaning forwards, "are absolutely amazing. And of course I love it." He presses his lips against Kieren's in a soft kiss and he can feel the pleased curve of his boyfriend's lips. 

"Good, that's good," Kieren says and Simon is amused to see how flustered he becomes. "I have a few more sketches at home like this one and I did have better one too, but it got ruined." Simon can tell that there is more to the story than that but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to ruin the mood. He also struggles to believe that Kieren could do better. 

"Well perhaps you'll just have to draw more then, and show me some of your other work," Simon suggests and Kieren grins. 

"It's a date."


End file.
